Referees’ Committee sheds light on the controversial VAR failure during Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona | OneFootball

The CTA (Technical Committee of Referees) has released an official statement following last night’s VAR system failure during the La Liga clash between Rayo Vallecano and Barcelona at the Vallecas Stadium.

The controversy centred on the penalty awarded to Barcelona, which many argued was a soft call that should not have been given.

With the VAR system down, referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer was forced to make the decision the traditional way, without technological assistance.

The CTA has now explained the situation clearly, stating,

“Following the technical incident by the VAR system’s technology provider (Mediapro), reported in a press release after the Rayo Vallecano – FC Barcelona match, and outside the control of the Technical Committee of Referees, this committee recalls that the current regulations in the FIFA Protocol stipulate that in these types of exceptional situations, the match must continue as usual, without the VAR system activated, with both teams being informed of the situation beforehand.”

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The statement further clarified that the failure was outside their responsibility.

Barcelona were awarded a penalty against Rayo Vallecano. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“Despite the fact that it was a cause beyond the control of the CTA, as we were deprived of technical support to be able to implement the VAR system during the match, we are fully available and actively collaborating with Mediapro to help rectify the reasons that caused the system to go down.”

The committee also defended referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer’s actions, stressing that he acted in full accordance with FIFA’s IFAB Protocol on match validity.

According to the regulations, “a match may not be delayed or suspended, either temporarily or permanently, due to a problem with the VAR or SAOT technologies that prevents their use.”

The referee must inform both teams, and the game must proceed as normal. This is exactly what Busquets Ferrer did, notifying both sides that the VAR was down before kickoff.

The CTA noted, “When the refereeing team becomes aware of a failure that impacts these technologies, they must inform both teams immediately, as well as inform them when the technology will be operational again.”

As such, the match remains entirely valid, even though part of it – including the controversial penalty on Lamine Yamal – was played without VAR.

In that case, the decision fell solely to the on-field referee, supported only by his assistants and the fourth official, which is exactly what happened during the game.

Source: Mundo Deportivo